History of Armenia

Armenia lies in the highlands surrounding the Biblical mountains of Ararat. The original Armenian name for the
country was Hayk, later Hayastan (Armenian: ), translated as the land of Haik, and consisting of the
name of the ancient Mesopotamian god Haya[1] (ha-i) and the Persian suffix '-stan' ("land"). The historical
enemy of Hayk (the legendary ruler of Armenia), Hayastan, was Bel, or in other words Baal (Akkadian cognate
Blu). The word "Bel" is named in the Bible at Isaiah 46:1 and Jeremiah 50:2 and 51:44.[2]

The name Armenia was given to the country by the surrounding states, and it is traditionally derived from
Armenak or Aram (the great-grandson of Haik's great-grandson, and another leader who is, according to
Armenian tradition, the ancestor of all Armenians). In the Bronze Age, several states flourished in the area of
Greater Armenia, including the Hittite Empire (at the height of its power), Mitanni (South-Western historical
Armenia), and Hayasa-Azzi (16001200 BC). Soon after the Hayasa-Azzi were the Nairi (14001000 BC) and
the Kingdom of Urartu (1000600 BC), who successively established their sovereignty over the Armenian
Highland. Each of the aforementioned nations and tribes participated in the ethnogenesis of the Armenian people.
[3][4] Yerevan, the modern capital of Armenia, dates back to the 8th century BC, with the founding of the fortress
of Erebuni in 782 BC by King Argishti I at the western extreme of the Ararat plain.[5] Erebuni has been described
as "designed as a great administrative and religious centre, a fully royal capital."[6]

The Iron Age kingdom of Urartu (Assyrian for Ararat) was replaced by the Orontid dynasty.[7][8] Following
Persian and subsequent Macedonian rule, the Artaxiad dynasty from 190 BC gave rise to the Kingdom of
Armenia which rose to the peak of its influence under Tigranes II before falling under Roman rule.[9]

In 301, Arsacid Armenia was the first sovereign nation to accept Christianity as a state religion. The Armenians
later fell under Byzantine, Sassanid Persian, and Islamic hegemony, but reinstated their independence with the
Bagratuni Dynasty kingdom of Armenia. After the fall of the kingdom in 1045, and the subsequent Seljuk
conquest of Armenia in 1064, the Armenians established a kingdom in Cilicia, where they prolonged their
sovereignty to 1375.[10]

Starting in the early 16th century, Greater Armenia came under Safavid Persian rule, however, the region was
divided in two parts following multiple wars over many centuries between the Safavids and their vying Ottoman
rivals, making Eastern Armenia remain under Persian rule, and Western Armenia fall under Ottoman rule,[11] up
to the course of the 19th century.

Following Russia's conquerings of all Caucasian territories from Qajar Iran, which included Eastern Armenia's
conquering by the late 1820s, Greater Armenia was now divided between the Ottoman Empire and Russia.[12] In
the early 20th century Armenians suffered in the genocide inflicted on them by the Ottoman government, in which
1.5 million Armenians were killed and many more dispersed throughout the world via Syria and Lebanon.
Armenia, from then on corresponding to much of Eastern Armenia, regained independence in 1918, with the
establishment of the First Republic of Armenia, and in 1991, the Republic of Armenia.[13][14][15]

Prehistory[edit]Main article: Prehistoric Armenia

Stone tools from 325,000 years ago have been found in Armenia which indicate the presence of early humans at
this time.[16] In the 1960s excavations in the Yerevan 1 Cave uncovered evidence of ancient human habitation,
including the remains of a 48,000 year old hearth, and a human cranial fragment and tooth of a similar age.

The Armenian Highland shows traces of settlement from the Neolithic era. Archaeological surveys in 2010 and
2011 have resulted in the discovery of the world's earliest known leather shoe (3,500 BC), straw skirt (3,900 BC),
and wine-making facility (4,000 BC) at the Areni-1 cave complex.[17][18][19]
A 5500 years old leather shoe, oldest found in the world, discovered in the Areni cave in Armenia, see Areni-1
shoeThe Shulaveri-Shomu culture of the central Transcaucasus region is one of the earliest known prehistoric
culture in the area, carbon-dated to roughly 6000 4000 BC.

Bronze Age[edit]
Bronze Age burial site Zorats Karer (also known as Karahunj).An early Bronze Age culture in the area is the
Kura-Araxes culture, assigned to the period of c. 4000 2200 BC. The earliest evidence for this culture is found
on the Ararat plain; thence it spread to Georgia by 3000 BC (but never reaching Colchis), proceeding westward
and to the southeast into an area below the Urmia basin and Lake Van. The name Armenian was firstly recorded
on an inscription which mentions Armani together with Ibla, from territories conquered by Naram-Sin (2300 BC)
identified with an Akkadian colony in the current region of Diyarbekir. To this day the Assyrians still refer to the
Armenians by the name Armani.[20] The word is also thought to be related to the Mannaeans and to the biblical
Minni.

The earliest forms of the word Hayastan, an ethonym the Armenians (Hayer) use to designate their country, come
from Hittite sources of the Late Bronze Age, such as the kingdom of Hayasa-Azzi. Another record mentioned by
pharaoh Thutmose III of Egypt in the 33rd year of his reign (1446 BC) as the people of Ermenen, and says in their
land "heaven rests upon its four pillars".[21]

Between 1500 1200 BC, the Hayasa-Azzi existed in the western half of the Armenian Highland, often clashing
with the Hittite Empire. Between 1200 800 BC, much of Armenia was united under a confederation of
kingdoms, which Assyrian sources called Nairi ("Land of Rivers" in Assyrian").

Iron Age[edit]Main article: Urartu

Kingdom of Ararat (Urartu) in the time of Sarduris II, 743 BCThe Kingdom of Urartu flourished between the 9th
century BC[22] and 585 BC[23] in the Armenian Highland. The founder of the Urartian Kingdom, Aram, united
all the principalities of the Armenian Highland and gave himself the title "King of Kings", the traditional title of
Urartian Kings.[24] The Urartians established their sovereignty over all of Taron and Vaspurakan. The main rival
of Urartu was the Neo-Assyrian Empire.[25]

During the reign of Sarduri I (834828 BC), Urartu had become a strong and organized state, and imposed taxes
to neighbouring tribes. Sarduri made Tushpa (modern Van) the capital of Urartu. His son, Ishpuinis, extended the
borders of the state by conquering what would later be known as the Tigranocerta area and by reaching Urmia.
Menuas (810785 BC) extended the Urartian territory up north, by spreading towards the Araratian fields. He left
more than 90 inscriptions by using the Mesopotamian cuneiform scriptures in the Urartian language. Argishtis I of
Urartu conquered Latakia from the Hittites,[citation needed] and reached Byblos,[citation needed] Phoenicia,
[citation needed] and he built the Erebuni Fortress, located in modern-day Yerevan, in 782 BC by using 6600
prisoners of war.

In 714 BC, the Assyrians under Sargon II defeated the Urartian King Rusa I at Lake Urmia and destroyed the holy
Urartian temple at Musasir. At the same time, an Indo-European tribe called the Cimmerians attacked Urartu from
the northwest region and destroyed the rest of his armies. Under Ashurbanipal (669-627 BC) the boundaries of the
Assyrian Empire reached as far as Armenia and the Caucasus Mountains.

The Medes under Cyaxares invaded Assyria later on in 612 BC, and then took over the Urartian capital of Van
towards 585 BC, effectively ending the sovereignty of Urartu.[26] According to the Armenian tradition, the
Medes helped the Armenians establish the Orontid dynasty.

Antiquity and Persian Satrapy of Armenia[edit]For more details on this topic, see Roman relations with the
Armenians.
Main articles: Orontid Dynasty and Satrapy of Armenia
After the fall of Urartu around 585 BC, the Satrapy of Armenia was ruled by the Armenian Orontid Dynasty,
which governed the state in 585190 BC. Under the Orontids, Armenia during this era was a satrapy of the
Persian Empire, and after its disintegration, it became an independent kingdom. During the rule of the Orontid
dynasty, most Armenians adopted the Zoroastrian religion.[27]

The Kingdom of Armenia at its greatest extent under Tigranes the Great.Artaxiad dynasty[edit]Main article:
Artaxiad Dynasty
After the destruction of the Seleucid Empire, a Hellenistic Armenian state was founded in 190 BC.

It was a Hellenistic Greek successor state of Alexander the Great's short-lived empire, with Artaxias becoming its
first king and the founder of the Artaxiad dynasty (190 BC AD 1).
At the same time, a western portion of the kingdom split as a separate state under Zariadris, which became known
as Lesser Armenia while the main kingdom acquired the name of Greater Armenia.[23]

The new kings began a program of expansion which was to reach its zenith a century later. Their acquisitions are
summarized by Strabo. Zariadris acquired Acilisene and the "country around the Antitaurus", possibly the district
of Muzur or west of the Euphrates.

Artaxias took lands from the Medes, Iberians, and Syrians. He then had confrontations with Pontus, Seleucid
Syria and Cappadocia, and was included in the treaty which followed the victory of a group of Anatolian kings
over Pharnaces of Pontus in 181 BC. Pharnaces thus abandoned all of his gains in the west.[28]

At its zenith, from 95 to 66 BC, Greater Armenia extended its rule over parts of the Caucasus and the area that is
now eastern and central Turkey, northwestern Iran, Israel, Syria and Lebanon, forming the second Armenian
empire. For a time, Armenia was one of the most powerful states in the Roman East.

It eventually confronted the Roman Republic in a war, which it lost in 66 BC, but nonetheless preserved its
sovereignty. Tigranes continued to rule Armenia as an ally of Rome until his death in 55 BC.[29]

Indeed, the third Mithridatic war defeat of the King of Pontus by Roman Pompeius resulted in the Kingdom of
Armenia becoming an allied client state of Rome.

Later on, in 1 AD, Armenia came under full Roman control until the establishment of the Armenian Arsacid
dynasty. The Armenian people then adopted a Western political, philosophical, and religious orientation.
According to Strabo, around this time everyone in Armenia spoke "the same language." (Strabo 11.14.4).

Roman Province of Armenia and Persian Armenia[edit]Main articles: Roman Armenia, Persian Armenia and
Marzpanate Armenia

The Roman Empire at its greatest extent, with the "Roman Province of Armenia"From Pompeius' campaign
Armenia was, for the next few centuries contested between Rome and Parthia/Sassanid Persia on the other hand.
Roman emperor Trajan created even a short-lived Province of Armenia between 114 and 117 AD.[30]

Indeed, Roman supremacy was fully established by the campaigns of Gnaeus Domitius Corbulo,[31] that ended
with a formal compromise: a Parthian prince of the Arsacid line would henceforth sit on the Armenian throne, but
his nomination had to be approved by the Roman emperor.

Because this agreement was not respected by the Parthian Empire, in 114 Trajan from Antiochia in Syria marched
on Armenia and conquered the capital Artaxata. Trajan then deposed the Armenian king Parthamasiris (imposed
by the Parthians) and ordered the annexation of Armenia to the Roman Empire as a new province.

The new province reached the shores of the Caspian sea and bordered to the north with Caucasian Iberia and
Caucasian Albania, two vassal states of Rome. As a Roman province Armenia was administered by Catilius
Severus of the Gens Claudia.

After Trajan's death, however, his successor Hadrian decided not to maintain the province of Armenia. In 118 AD,
Hadrian gave Armenia up, and installed Parthamaspates as its "vassal" king.

Arsacid dynasty[edit]Main articles: Arsacid Dynasty of Armenia and Roman-Parthian Wars

Armenia in the 4th Century, 299387 ADArmenia, under its Arshakuni dynasty, which was a branch of the
eponymous Arsacid dynasty of Parthia, was often a focus of contention between Rome and Parthia.[32] The
Parthians forced Armenia into submission from 37 to 47, when the Romans retook control of the kingdom.

Under Nero, the Romans fought a campaign (5563) against the Parthian Empire, which had invaded the
kingdom of Armenia, allied to the Romans. After gaining (60) and losing (62) Armenia, the Romans under
Gnaeus Domitius Corbulo, legate of Syria entered (63) into an agreement of Vologases I of Parthia, which
confirmed Tiridates I as king of Armenia, thus founding the Arshakuni Dynasty.
The Arsacid dynasty lost control of Armenia for a few years when emperor Trajan created the "Roman Province
of Armenia", fully included into the Roman Empire from 114 to 117 AD. His successor Hadrian reinstalled the
Arsacid Dynasty when nominated Parthamaspates as "vassal" king of Armenia in 118 AD.

Another campaign was led by Emperor Lucius Verus in 162165, after Vologases IV of Parthia had invaded
Armenia and installed his chief general on its throne. To counter the Parthian threat, Verus set out for the east. His
army won significant victories and retook the capital. Sohaemus, a Roman citizen of Armenian heritage, was
installed as the new client king.[33]

The Sassanid Persians occupied Armenia in 252 and held it until the Romans returned in 287. In 384 the kingdom
was split between the Byzantine or East Roman Empire and the Persians.[34] Western Armenia quickly became a
province of the Roman Empire under the name of Armenia Minor; Eastern Armenia remained a kingdom within
Persia until 428, when the local nobility overthrew the king, and the Sassanids installed a governor in his place.

According to tradition, the Armenian Apostolic Church was established by two of Jesus' twelve apostles
Thaddaeus and Bartholomewwho preached Christianity in Armenia in the 40s60s AD.[35] Between 1st and
4th centuries AD, the Armenian Church was headed by patriarchs.

Christianized Arsacid dynasty[edit]In 301, Armenia became the first nation to adopt Christianity as a state
religion,[36] amidst the long-lasting geo-political rivalry over the region. It established a church that today exists
independently of both the Catholic and the Eastern Orthodox churches, having become so in 451 after having
rejected the Council of Chalcedon.[37] The Armenian Apostolic Church is a part of the Oriental Orthodox
communion, not to be confused with the Eastern Orthodox communion. The first Catholicos of the Armenian
church was Saint Gregory the Illuminator.[38] Because of his beliefs, he was persecuted by the pagan king of
Armenia, and was "punished" by being thrown in Khor Virap, in modern-day Armenia.[39] He acquired the title
of Illuminator, because he illuminated the spirits of Armenians by introducing Christianity to them. Before this,
the dominant religion amongst the Armenians was Zoroastrianism.[40] It seems that the Christianisation of
Armenia by the Arsacids of Armenia was partly in defiance of the Sassanids.[11]

During its later political eclipses, Armenia depended on the church to preserve and protect its unique identity.

In 405/406, Armenia's political future seemed to be uncertain. With the help of the King of Armenia, Mesrop
Mashtots thus invented a unique alphabet to suit the people's needs.[41] By doing so, he ushered a new Golden
Age and strengthened Armenian national identity.

The extent of Persian Armenia.After years of partial rule, the Arsacid dynasty fell in 428, with Eastern Armenia
being subjugated to Persia and Western Armenia, to Rome. In the 5th century, the Sassanid Shah Yazdegerd II
tried to tie his Christian Armenian subjects more closely to the Sassanid Empire by reimposing the Zoroastrian
religion.[42] The Armenians greatly resented this, and as a result, a rebellion broke out with Vartan Mamikonian
as the leader of the rebels. Yazdegerd thus massed his army and sent it to Armenia, where the Battle of Avarayr
took place in 451. The 66,000 Armenian rebels,[43] mostly peasants, lost their morale when Mamikonian himself
died in the battlefield. They were substantially outnumbered by the 180,00220,000-strong[44] Persian army of
Immortals and war elephants. Despite being a military defeat, the Battle of Avarayr and the subsequent guerrilla
war in Armenia eventually resulted in the Treaty of Nvarsak (484), which guaranteed religious freedom to the
Armenians.[45]

Middle Ages[edit]Main article: Medieval Armenia

Byzantium and Bagratid Armenia[edit]Main article: Muslim conquest of Persia
In 591, the Byzantine Emperor Maurice defeated the Persians and recovered much of the remaining territory of
Armenia into the empire. The conquest was completed by the Emperor Heraclius, himself ethnically Armenian, in
629.

In 645, the Muslim Arab armies of the Caliphate had attacked and conquered the country. Armenia, which once
had its own rulers and was at other times under Persian and Byzantine control, passed largely into the power of
the Caliphs.
Nonetheless, there were still parts of Armenia held within the Empire, containing many Armenians. This
population held tremendous power within the empire. The Emperor Heraclius (610641) was of Armenian
descent, as was the Emperor Philippicus (711713). The Emperor Basil I, who took the Byzantine throne in 867,
was the first of what is sometimes called the Armenian dynasty (see Macedonian Dynasty), reflecting the strong
effect the Armenians had on the Eastern Roman State.[46] The Armenians were able and allowed to maintain a
distinct culture.

Evolving as a feudal kingdom in the 9th century, Armenia experienced a brief cultural, political and economic
renewal under the Bagratuni Dynasty. Bagratid Armenia was eventually recognized as a sovereign kingdom by
the two major powers in the region: Baghdad in 885, and Constantinople in 886. Ani, the new Armenian capital,
was constructed at the Kingdom's apogee in 964.[47] The royal capital at Ani held approximately 200,000
inhabitants and a reported "1001 churches". With the construction of Ani, Armenia became a populous and
prosperous nation, exerting political and economic influence over surrounding states and nations. Yet Armenia
was still a weak state, perched precariously between the rival Byzantine Empire and the Abbassid Caliphate. Its
existence depended on both of these states desiring the continuation of Bagratid Armenia as a buffer state, and
Armenia itself being strong enough to maintain this status.[citation needed]

Armenian Feudal Kingdoms, 1000 ADSallarid dynasty[edit]The Iranian[48][49] Sallarid dynasty conquered parts
of Eastern Armenia in the 2nd half of the 10th century.[50]

Seljuq Armenia[edit]Main article: Seljuq Armenia

See also: Battle of Manzikert
Although the native Bagratuni Dynasty was founded under favourable circumstances, the feudal system gradually
weakened the country by eroding loyalty to the central government. Thus internally enfeebled, Armenia proved an
easy victim for the Byzantines, who captured Ani in 1045. The Seljuk Turks under Alp Arslan in turn took the city
in 1064.[51] In 1071, after the defeat of the Byzantine forces by the Seljuk Turks at the Battle of Manzikert, the
Turks captured the rest of Greater Armenia and much of Anatolia.[52] So ended Christian leadership of Armenia
for the next millennium with the exception of a period of the late 12th-early 13th centuries, when the Muslim
power in Greater Armenia was seriously troubled by the resurgent Georgian monarchy. Many local nobles
(nakharars) joined their efforts with the Georgians, leading to liberation of several areas in northern Armenia,
which was ruled, under the authority of the Georgian crown, by the Zacharids/Mkhargrdzeli, a prominent
Armeno-Georgian noble family.[53]

Armenian Kingdom of Cilicia[edit]Main article: Armenian Kingdom of Cilicia

The Kingdom of Cilician Armenia, 11991375.To escape death or servitude at the hands of those who had
assassinated his relative, Gagik II, King of Ani, an Armenian named Roupen with some of his countrymen went
into the gorges of the Taurus Mountains and then into Tarsus of Cilicia. Here the Byzantine governor of the place
gave them shelter. Thus, from around 1080 to 1375, the focus of Armenian nationalism moved south, as the
Armenian Kingdom of Cilicia.

After the members of the first Crusade appeared in Asia Minor, the Armenians developed close ties to European
Crusader States, flourished in southeastern Asia Minor until it was conquered by Muslim states. Count Baldwin,
who with the rest of the Crusaders was passing through Asia Minor bound for Jerusalem, left the Crusader army
and was adopted by Thoros of Edessa, an Armenian ruler of Greek Orthodox faith.[54] Hostile as they were to the
Seljuks, and unfriendly to the Byzantines, the Armenians took kindly to the crusader count, and when Thoros was
assassinated, Baldwin was made ruler of the new crusader County of Edessa. It seems that the Armenians enjoyed
the rule of Baldwin and the crusaders in general, and some number of them fought alongside the crusaders. When
Antioch had been taken (1097), Constantine, the son of Roupen, received from the crusaders the title of baron.

The Third Crusade and other events elsewhere left Cilicia as the sole substantial Christian presence in the Middle
East.[54] World powers, such as Byzantium, the Holy Roman Empire, the Papacy and even the Abbassid Caliph
competed and vied for influence over the state and each raced to be the first to recognise Leo II, Prince of Lesser
Armenia, as the rightful king. As a result, he had been given a crown by both German and Byzantine emperors.
Representatives from across Christendom and a number of Muslim states attended the coronation, thus
highlighting the important stature that Cilicia had gained over time.[54] The Armenian authority was often in
touch with the crusaders. No doubt the Armenians aided in some of the other crusades. Cilicia flourished greatly
under Armenian rule, as it became the last remnant of Medieval Armenian statehood.[citation needed] Cilcia
acquired an Armenian identity, as the kings of Cilicia were called kings of Armenians, not of Cilicians. In Lesser
Armenia, Armenian culture was intertwined with both the European culture of the Crusaders, and with the
Hellenic culture of Cilicia. As the Catholic families extended their influence over Cilicia, the Pope wanted the
Armenians to follow Catholicism. This situation divided the kingdom's inhabitants between pro-Catholic and pro-
Apostolic camps. Armenian sovereignty lasted until 1375, when the Mamelukes of Egypt profited from the
unstable situation of Lesser Armenia and destroyed it.

Early Modern period[edit]Persian Armenia[edit]Main article: Armenians in the Persianate

See also: Khanates of the Caucasus and Melikdoms of Karabakh

The Erivan khanate within the Iranian Safavid EmpireDue to its strategic significance, the historical Armenian
homeland of Western Armenia and Eastern Armenia was constantly fought over and passed back and forth
between the dominion of Safavid Persia and the Ottomans. For example, at the height of the Ottoman-Persian
wars, Yerevan changed hands fourteen times between 1513 and 1737. Nevertheless, Greater Armenia was
annexed in the early 16th century by Shah Ismail I.[55]

In 1604, Shah Abbas I pursued a scorched-earth campaign against the Ottomans in the Ararat valley during the
OttomanSafavid War (160318). The old Armenian town of Julfa in the province of Nakhichevan was taken
early in the invasion. From there Abbas' army fanned out across the Araratian plain. The Shah pursued a careful
strategy, advancing and retreating as the occasion demanded, determined not to risk his enterprise in a direct
confrontation with stronger enemy forces.

While laying siege to Kars, he learned of the approach of a large Ottoman army, commanded by Djghazad Sinan
Pasha. The order to withdraw was given; but to deny the enemy the potential to resupply themselves from the
land, he ordered the wholesale destruction of the Armenian towns and farms on the plain. As part of this the
whole population was ordered to accompany the Persian army in its withdrawal. Some 300,000 people were duly
herded to the banks of the Araxes River. Those who attempted to resist the mass deportation were killed outright.
The Shah had previously ordered the destruction of the only bridge, so people were forced into the waters, where
a great many drowned, carried away by the currents, before reaching the opposite bank. This was only the
beginning of their ordeal. One eye-witness, Father de Guyan, describes the predicament of the refugees thus:

It was not only the winter cold that was causing torture and death to the deportees. The greatest suffering came
from hunger. The provisions which the deportees had brought with them were soon consumed... The children
were crying for food or milk, none of which existed, because the women's breasts had dried up from hunger...
Many women, hungry and exhausted, would leave their famished children on the roadside, and continue their
tortuous journey. Some would go to nearby forests in search of something to eat. Usually they would not come
back. Often those who died, served as food for the living.
Unable to maintain his army on the desolate plain, Sinan Pasha was forced to winter in Van. Armies sent in
pursuit of the Shah in 1605 were defeated, and by 1606 Abbas had regained all of the territory lost to the Turks
earlier in his reign. The scorched-earth tactic had worked, though at a terrible cost to the Armenian people. Of the
300,000 deported it is calculated that under half survived the march to Isfahan. In the conquered territories Abbas
established the Erivan khanate, a Muslim principality under the dominion of the Safavid Empire. Armenians
formed less than 20% of its population[56] as a result of Shah Abbas I's deportation of much of the Armenian
population from the Ararat valley and the surrounding region in 1605.[57]

An often-used policy by the Persians was the appointment of Turks as local rulers as so called khans of their
various khanates. These were counted as subordinate to the Persian Empire. Examples include: the Khanate of
Erevan, Khanate of Nakhichevan and the Karabakh Khanate.

Even though Greater Armenia had already once been conquered once by the Ottomans following the Peace of
Amasya, Greater Armenia was eventually decisively divided between the vying rivals, the Ottomans and the
Safavids in the first half of the 17th century following the OttomanSafavid War (162339) and the outcoming
Treaty of Zuhab making Eastern Armenia remain under Persian rule, and Western Armenia fall under Ottoman
rule.[11]
Persia continued to rule Eastern Armenia all the way up to including the first half of the 19th century, after which
it was forced to cede it following the Russo-Persian War (1826-1828) and its outcoming Treaty of Turkmenchay.
[58]

Following Russia's conquest of all of Persia's Caucasian territories, many Armenian families were encouraged to
settle in the newly conquered Russian territories.

Russian Armenia[edit]Main article: Russian Armenia

Map of the Armenian Oblast within the Russian Empire.In the aftermath of the Russo-Persian War, 1826-1828,
the parts of historic Armenia (also known as Eastern Armenia) under Persian control, centering on Yerevan and
Lake Sevan, were incorporated into Russia after Persia's forced ceding.[58] Under Russian rule, the area
corresponding approximately to modern-day Armenian territory was called "Province of Yerevan". The Armenian
subjects of the Russian Empire lived in relative safety, compared to their Ottoman kin, albeit clashes with Tatars
and Kurds were frequent in the early 20th century.

During the 19th and early 20th centuries, the ambitious Russians sought out to continue their expansion further
south, which also needed them to go into Armenian land in order to reach the warm waters of the Mediterranean.
This caused conflict between the Russian and Ottoman Empires eventually culminating in the Russo-Turkish War,
1828-1829. In the aftermath of the war, the Ottoman Empire ceded a small part of the traditional Armenian
homeland to the Russian Empire, while the rest of Western Armenia remained under Ottoman sovereignty.

Ottoman Armenia[edit]Main article: Ottoman Armenia

See also: Armenian Patriarchate of Constantinople

Patriarch Harutyun I of Constantinople.Mehmed II conquered Constantinople from the Byzantines in 1453, and
made it the Ottoman Empire's capital. Mehmed and his successors used the religious systems of their subject
nationalities as a method of population control, and so Ottoman Sultans invited an Armenian archbishop to
establish the Armenian Patriarchate of Constantinople. The Armenians of Constantinople grew in numbers, and
became respected, if not full, members of Ottoman society.

The Ottoman Empire ruled in accordance to Islamic law. As such, the People of the Book (the Christians and the
Jews) had to pay an extra tax to fulfill their status as dhimmi and in return were guaranteed religious autonomy.
While the Armenians of Constantinople benefitted from the Sultan's support and grew to be a prospering
community, the same could not be said about the ones inhabiting historic Armenia. During times of crisis the ones
in the remote regions of mountainous eastern Anatolia were mistreated by local Kurdish chiefs and feudal lords.
They often also had to suffer (alongside the settled Muslim population) raids by nomadic Kurdish tribes.[59]
Armenians, like the other Ottoman Christians (though not to the same extent), had to transfer some of their
healthy male children to the Sultan's government due to the devirme policies in place. The boys were then forced
to convert to Islam (by threat of death otherwise) and educated to be fierce warriors in times of war, as well as
Beys, Pashas and even Grand Viziers in times of peace.

The Armenian national liberation movement was the Armenian effort to free the historic Armenian homeland of
eastern Anatolia and Transcaucasus from Russian and Ottoman domination and re-establish the independent
Armenian state. The national liberation movement of the Balkan peoples and the immediate involvement of the
European powers in the Eastern question had a powerful effect on the development of the national liberation
ideology movement among the Armenians of the Ottoman Empire.[60] The Armenian national movement,
besides its individual heroes, was an organized activity represented around three parties of Armenian people,
Social Democrat Hunchakian Party, Armenakan and Armenian Revolutionary Federation, which ARF was the
largest and most influential among the three. Those Armenians who did not support national liberation aspirations
or who were neutral were called chezoks.

In 1839, the situation of the Ottoman Armenians slightly improved after Abdul Mejid I carried out Tanzimat
reforms in its territories. However, later Sultans, such as Abdul Hamid II stopped the reforms and carried out
massacres, now known as the Hamidian massacres of 189596 after a failed Armenian attempt to assassinate him.
20th century[edit]The Armenian Genocide (19151921)[edit]Main article: Armenian Genocide

Armenian civilians, being deported during the Armenian Genocide.In 1915, the Ottoman Empire systematically
carried out the Armenian Genocide. This was preceded by a wave of massacres in the years 1894 to 1896, and
another one in 1909 in Adana. In 1915, with World War I in progress, the Ottoman Turks accused the (Christian)
Armenians as liable to ally with Russia, and treated the entire Armenian population as an enemy within their
empire.

The events of 1915 to 1923 are regarded by Armenians and the vast majority of Western historians to have been
state-sponsored mass killings. Turkish authorities, however, maintain that the deaths were the result of a civil war
coupled with disease and famine, with casualties incurred by both sides.

The exact numbers of deaths is hard to establish. It is estimated by many sources that close to a million and a half
Armenians perished in camps, which excludes Armenians who may have died in other ways. Most estimates place
the total number of deaths between 600,000 (by Turkish authorities) and 1,500,000 (by Western academics).
These events are traditionally commemorated yearly on April 24, the Armenian Christian martyr day.

First Republic of Armenia (19181920)[edit]Main article: First Republic of Armenia

Between the 4th and 19th centuries, the traditional area of Armenia was conquered and ruled by Persians,
Byzantines, Arabs, Mongols, and Turks, among others. Parts of historical Armenia gained independence from the
Ottoman Empire and the Russian Empire after the collapse of these two empires in the wake of the First World
War.

Transcaucasian Federation (19171918)[edit]See also: Caucasus Campaign

Flag of the Transcaucasian FederationDuring the Russian Revolution, the provinces of the Caucasus seceded and
formed their own federal state called the Transcaucasian Federation. Competing national interests and war with
Turkey led to the dissolution of the republic half a year later, in April 1918.

After the Russian Revolution of 1917 and the takeover of the Bolsheviks, Stepan Shaumyan was placed in charge
of Russian Armenia. In September 1917, the convention in Tiflis elected the Armenian National Council, the first
sovereign political body of Armenians since the collapse of Lesser Armenia in 1375. Meanwhile, both the Ittihad
(Unionist) and the Nationalists moved to win the friendship of the Bolsheviks. Mustafa Kemal sent several
delegations to Moscow in an attempt to win some support for his own post-Ottoman movement in what he saw as
a modernised ethno-nationalist Turkey. This alliance proved disastrous for the Armenians. The signing of the
Ottoman-Russian friendship treaty (January 1, 1918), helped Vehib Pasha to attack the new Republic. Under
heavy pressure from the combined forces of the Ottoman army and the Kurdish irregulars, the Republic was
forced to withdraw from Erzincan to Erzurum. In the end, the Republic had to evacuate Erzurum as well.

Further southeast, in Van, the Armenians resisted the Turkish army until April 1918, but eventually were forced to
evacuate it and withdraw to Persia. Conditions deteriorated when Azerbaijani Tatars sided with the Turks and
seized the Armenian's lines of communication, thus cutting off the Armenian National Councils in Baku and
Yerevan from the National Council in Tiflis.

The First Republic of Armenia was established on May 28, 1918.

Georgian-Armenian War (1918)[edit]Main articles: Georgian-Armenian War 1918 and Democratic Republic of
Georgia

First Republic of Armenia in 1919During the final stages of World War I, the Armenians and Georgians had been
defending against the advance of the Ottoman Empire. In June 1918, in order to forestall an Ottoman advance on
Tiflis, the Georgian troops had occupied the Lori Province which at the time had a 75% Armenian majority. After
the Armistice of Mudros and the withdrawal of the Ottomans, the Georgian forces remained. Georgian Menshevik
parlementarian Irakli Tsereteli offered that the Armenians would be safer from the Turks as Georgian citizens. The
Georgians offered a quadripartite conference including Georgia, Armenia, Azerbaijan, and the Mountainous
Republic of the Northern Caucasus in order to resolve the issue which the Armenians rejected. In December 1918,
the Georgians were confronting a rebellion chiefly in the village of Uzunlar in the Lori region. Within days,
hostilities commenced between the two republics.[61]

The Georgian-Armenian War was a border war fought in 1918 between the Democratic Republic of Georgia and
the First Republic of Armenia over the parts of then disputed provinces of Lori, Javakheti which had been
historically bicultural Armenian-Georgian territories, but were largely populated by Armenians in the 19th
century.

Armenian-Azerbaijan War[edit]Main article: ArmenianAzerbaijani War

A considerable degree of hostility existed between Armenia and its new neighbor to the east, the Democratic
Republic of Azerbaijan, stemming largely from racial, religious, cultural and societal differences. The Azeris had
close ethnic and religious ties to the Turks and had provided material support for them in their drive to Baku in
1918. Although the borders of the two countries were still undefined, Azerbaijan claimed most of the territory
Armenia was sitting on, demanding all or most parts of the former Russian provinces of Elizavetpol, Tiflis,
Yerevan, Kars and Batum.[62] As diplomacy failed to accomplish compromise, even with the mediation of the
commanders of a British expeditionary force that had installed itself in the Caucasus, territorial clashes between
Armenia and Azerbaijan took place throughout 1919 and 1920, most notably in the regions of Nakhichevan,
Karabakh, and Syunik (Zangezur). Repeated attempts to bring these provinces under Azerbaijani jurisdiction were
met with fierce resistance by their Armenian inhabitants. In May 1919, Dro led an expeditionary unit that was
successful in establishing Armenian administrative control in Nakhichevan.[63]

South West Caucasian Republic[edit]While problems with Azerbaijan continued, a new state headed by Fakhr al-
Din Pirioghlu and centered in Kars, the South West Caucasian Republic was established. It claimed the territory
around the regions of Kars and Batum, parts of the Yerevan district and the Akhaltsikhe and Akhalkalaki districts
of the Tiflis province. It existed alongside with the British general governorship created during the Entente's
intervention in Transcaucasia.[64] It was abolished by British High Commissioner Admiral Somerset Arthur
Gough-Calthorpe in April 1919 and the region was assigned to the Armenian Republic.[citation needed]

Treaty of Svres[edit]
The proposed Armenian state created by the Treaty of Svres.The Treaty of Svres was signed between the Allied
and Associated Powers and Ottoman Empire at Svres, France on August 10, 1920. The treaty included a clause
on Armenia: it made all parties signing the treaty recognize Armenia as a free and independent state. The drawing
of definite borders was, however, left to President Woodrow Wilson and the United States State Department, and
was only presented to Armenia on November 22. The new borders gave Armenia access to the Black Sea and
awarded large portions of the eastern provinces of the Ottoman Empire to the republic.[65] The Treaty of Svres
was signed by the Ottoman Government, but Sultan Mehmed VI never signed it and thus never came into effect.
The Turkish Revolutionaries, led by Mustafa Kemal Pasha, began the Turkish National Movement which, in
opposing any territorial concessions to either the Greeks or the Armenians, moved forward with their plans to
crush the Armenian republic.[citation needed]

Turkish-Armenian War (1920)[edit]

Armenian civilians fleeing Kars after its capture by Kazm Karabekir's forcesFor more details on this topic, see
TurkishArmenian War.
In 1920, Armenian border troops skirmished with Muslim warlords in the former Georgian region of Oltu, on the
border with the First Republic of Armenia. Turkish General Kazm Karabekir then led four Turkish battalions into
the district on September 3 and drove the Armenians out. The Turkish Revolutionaries alleged that the Turks
inside Armenia were being mistreated and oppressed by the Armenians. On September 20, 1920, the Turkish
General Kazm Karabekir invaded the region of Sarikamish.[66] In response, Armenia declared war on Turkey on
September 24 and the Turkish invasion of Armenia (1920) began. In the regions of Oltu, Sarikamish, Kars,
Alexandropol (Gyumri) Armenian forces clashed with those of Karabekirs armies. Mustafa Kemal Pasha had
sent several delegations to Moscow in search of an alliance, where he had found a receptive response by the
Soviet government, which started sending gold and weapons to the Turkish revolutionaries. This proved
disastrous for the Armenians.

Armenia gave way to communist power in late 1920. In November 1920, the Turkish revolutionaries captured
Alexandropol and were poised to move in on the capital. A cease fire was concluded on November 18.
Negotiations were then carried out between Karabekir and a peace delegation led by Alexander Khatisian in
Alexandropol; although Karabekirs terms were extremely harsh the Armenian delegation had little recourse but
to agree to them. The Treaty of Alexandropol was thus signed on December 2/3, 1920.[67]

The consequences of Armenia's war with Turkey were severe. In the Treaty of Alexandropol, the young Armenian
republic was to disarm most of its military forces, cede more than 50% of its pre-war territory, and to give up all
the territories granted to it at the Treaty of Svres.

2Members of the Soviet 11th Red Army marching down Yerevan's Abovyan Boulevard, effectively ending
Armenian self-rule.However, as the terms of defeat were being negotiated, Bolshevik Grigoriy Ordzhonikidze
invaded from Azerbaijan the First Republic of Armenia in order to establish a new pro-Bolshevik government in
the country. The 11th Red Army began its virtually unopposed advance into Armenia on November 29, 1920 at
Karavansarai. The actual transfer of power took place on December 2 in Yerevan. The Armenian leadership
approved an ultimatum, presented to it by the Soviet plenipotentiary Boris Legran. Armenia decided to join the
Soviet sphere, while Soviet Russia agreed to protect its remaining territory from the advancing Turkish army. The
Soviets also pledged to take steps to rebuild the army, protect the Armenians and to not pursue non-communist
Armenians, although the final condition of this pledge was reneged when the Dashnaks were forced out of the
country.[citation needed] On December 5, the Armenian Revolutionary Committee (Revkom, made up of mostly
Armenians from Azerbaijan) also entered the city.[68] Finally, on the following day, December 6, Felix
Dzerzhinsky's Cheka, entered Yerevan, thus effectively ending the existence of the Democratic Republic of
Armenia. At that point what was left of Armenia was under the influence of the Bolsheviks.

Although the Bolsheviks succeeded in ousting the Turks from their positions in Armenia, they decided to establish
peace with Turkey. In 1921, the Bolsheviks and the Turks signed the Treaty of Kars, in which Turkey ceded
Adjara to the USSR in exchange for the Kars territory (today the Turkish provinces of Kars, Idr, and Ardahan).
The land given to Turkey included the ancient city of Ani and Mount Ararat, the spiritual Armenian homeland. In
1922, the newly proclaimed Armenian Soviet Socialist Republic, under the leadership of Alexander Miasnikyan,
became part of the Soviet Union as one of three republics comprising the Transcaucasian SFSR.

Armenia in the Soviet Union (19221991)[edit]Main article: Armenian SSR

The coat of arms of Soviet Armenia depicting Mount Ararat in the center.The Transcaucasian SFSR was dissolved
in 1936 and as a result Armenia became a constituent republic of the Soviet Union as the Armenian Soviet
Socialist Republic. The transition to communism was difficult for Armenia, and for most of the other republics in
the Soviet Union. The Soviet authorities placed Armenians under strict surveillance. There was almost no
freedom of speech, even less so under Joseph Stalin. Any individual who was suspected of using or introducing
nationalist rhetoric or elements in their works were labeled traitors or propangandists, and were sent to Siberia
during Stalinist rule. Even Zabel Yessayan, a writer who was fortunate enough to escape from ethnic cleansing
during the Armenian Genocide, was quickly exiled to Siberia after repatriating to Armenia from France.

Soviet Armenia participated in World War II by sending hundreds of thousands of soldiers to the frontline in order
to defend the "Soviet motherland." Soviet rule also had some positive aspects. Armenia benefited from the Soviet
economy, especially when it was at its apex. Provincial villages gradually became towns and towns gradually
became cities. Peace between Armenia and Azerbaijan was reached, albeit temporarily. During this time, Armenia
had a sizeable Azeri minority, mostly centred in Yerevan. Likewise, Azerbaijan had an Armenian minority,
concentrated in Baku, Kirovabad. Many Armenians still had nationalist sentiments, even though they were
discouraged from expressing them publicly. On April 24, 1965, tens of thousands of Armenians flooded the streets
of Yerevan to remind the world of the horrors that their parents and grandparents endured during the Armenian
Genocide of 1915. This was the first public demonstration of such high numbers in the USSR, which defended
national interests rather than collective ones. In the late 1980s, Armenia was suffering from pollution. With
Mikhail Gorbachev's introduction of glasnost and perestroika, public demonstrations became more common.
Thousands of Armenians demonstrated in Yerevan because of the USSR's inability to address simple ecological
concerns. Later on, with the conflict in Karabakh, the demonstrations obtained a more nationalistic flavour. Many
Armenians began to demand statehood.

In 1988, the Spitak Earthquake killed tens of thousands of people and destroyed multiple towns in northern
Armenia, such as Leninakan (modern-day Gyumri) and Spitak. Many families were left without electricity and
running water. The harsh situation caused by the earthquake and subsequent events made many residents of
Armenia leave and settle in North America, Western Europe or Australia.

On February 20, 1988, interethnic fighting between the ethnic Armenians of Nagorno-Karabakh and Azerbaijanis
broke out shortly after the parliament of Nagorno-Karabakh, an autonomous oblast in Azerbaijan, voted to unify
the region with Armenia. The Nagorno-Karabakh war pitted Armenians of Nagorno-Karabakh, backed by
Armenia, against the Army of Azerbaijan.

Independent Armenia (1991-today)[edit]

Distribution of Armenians in the CaucasusArmenia declared its sovereignty from the Soviet Union on August 23,
1990. In the wake of the August Coup, a referendum was held on the question of secession. Following an
overwhelming vote in favor, full independence was declared on September 21, 1991. However, widespread
recognition did not occur until the formal dissolution of the Soviet Union on December 25, 1991.

Armenia faced many challenges during its first years as a sovereign state. Several Armenian organizations from
around the world quickly arrived to offer aid and to participate in the country's early years. From Canada, a group
of young students and volunteers under the CYMA - Canadian Youth Mission to Armenia banner arrived in Ararat
Region and became the first youth organization to contribute to the newly independent Republic.

Following the Armenian victory in the Nagorno-Karabakh war, both Azerbaijan and Turkey closed their borders
and imposed a blockade which they retain to this day, though in October 2009 Turkey and Armenia signed a
treaty to normalize relations. These events severely affected the economy of the fledgling republic, and closed off
its main routes to Europe.

Ter-Petrosyan Presidency (19911998)[edit]

Inauguration of Levon Ter-Petrosyan as president in 1991Levon Ter-Petrosyan was popularly elected the first
President of the newly independent Republic of Armenia on October 16, 1991 and re-elected on September 22,
1996. His re-election was marred by allegations of electoral fraud reported by the opposition and supported by
many international observers. His popularity waned further as the opposition started blaming him for the
economic quagmire that Armenia's post-Soviet economy was in. He was also unpopular with one party in
particular, the Armenian Revolutionary Federation, which he banned and jailed on the grounds that the party had a
foreign-based leadershipsomething which was forbidden according to the Armenian Constitution.

Ter-Petrosyan was forced to step down in February 1998 after advocating compromised settlement of the conflict
over Nagorno-Karabakh which many Armenians regarded as undermining their security. Ter-Petrosyan's key
ministers, led by then-Prime Minister Robert Kocharyan, refused to accept a peace plan for Karabakh put forward
by international mediators in September 1997. The plan, accepted by Ter-Petrosyan and Azerbaijan, called for a
"phased" settlement of the conflict which would postpone an agreement on Karabakh's status, the main stumbling
block. That agreement was to accompany the return of most Armenian-controlled Azerbaijani territories around
Karabakh and the lifting of the Azerbaijani and Turkish blockades of Armenia.[citation needed]

Kocharyan Presidency (19982008)[edit]

Robert KocharyanAfter the resignation of his predecessor Levon Ter-Petrosyan, Robert Kocharyan was elected
Armenia's second President on March 30, 1998, defeating his main rival, Karen Demirchyan, in an early
presidential election marred by irregularities and violations by both sides as reported by international electoral
observers. Complaints included that Kocharyan had not been an Armenian citizen for ten years as required by the
constitution.,[69]

During his presidency, several opposition leaders in the Armenian Parliament and the Prime Minister of Armenia
were killed by gunmen in an episode known as the 1999 Armenian parliament shooting. Kocharyan himself
negotiated with terrorists to lease the MP hostages. It is widely believed by Armenians at large that Kocharyan is
responsible for the parliament shooting.[70][71]

The 2003 Armenian Presidential election were held on February 19 and March 5, 2003. No candidate received a
majority in the first round of the election with the incumbent President Kocharyan winning slightly under 50% of
the vote. Therefore, a second round was held and Kocharyan defeated Stepan Demirchyan with official results
showed him winning just over 67% of the vote. In both rounds, electoral observers from the OSCE reported
significant amounts of electoral fraud by Demirchyan's supporters and numerous supporters of Demirchyan were
arrested before the second round took place.[72] Demirchyan described the election as having been rigged and
called on his supporters to rally against the results.[73] Tens of thousands of Armenians protested in the days after
the election against the results and called on President Kocharyan to step down.[72] However Kocharyn was
sworn in for a second term in early April and the constitutional court upheld the election, while recommending
that a referendum be held within a year to confirm the election result.[13][14]

As President, Kocharyan continued to negotiate a peaceful resolution with Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev on
the status of Nagorno-Karabakh. Talks between Aliyev and Kocharyan were held in September 2004 in Astana,
Kazakhstan, on the sidelines of the CIS summit. Reportedly, one of the suggestions put forward was the
withdrawal of Armenian forces from the Azeri territories adjacent to Nagorno-Karabakh, and holding
referendums (plebiscites) in Nagorno-Karabakh and Azerbaijan proper regarding the future status of the region.
On February 1011, 2006, Kocharyan and Aliyev met in Rambouillet, France to discuss the fundamental
principles of a settlement to the conflict, including the withdrawal of troops, formation of international peace
keeping troops, and the status of Nagorno-Karabakh.[74] Contrary to the initial optimism, the Rambouillet talks
did not produce any agreement, with key issues such as the status of Nagorno-Karabakh and whether Armenian
troops would withdraw from Kalbajar still being contentious. The next session of the talks was held in March
2006 in Washington, D.C.[74] Russian President, Vladimir Putin applied pressure to both parties to settle the
disputes.[75] No progress arose from further meetings in Minsk and Moscow in November 2006.[76]

Sargsyan Presidency (2008)[edit]

Serzh SargsyanSerzh Sargsyan, then Prime Minister of Armenia and having President Kocharyan's backing, was
viewed as the strongest contender for the post of the President of Armenia in the February 2008 presidential
election.[77][78]

Ter-Petrosyan officially announced his candidacy in the 2008 presidential election in a speech in Yerevan on
October 26, 2007. He accused Kocharyan's government of massive corruption, involving the theft of "at least
three to four billion dollars" over the previous five years. He was critical of the government's claims of strong
economic growth and argued that Kocharyan and his Prime Minister, Serge Sargsyan, had come to accept a
solution to the problem of Nagorno-Karabakh that was effectively the same solution that he had proposed ten
years earlier. A number of opposition parties have rallied behind him since his return to the political arena,
including the People's Party of Armenia led by Stepan Demirchian, Armenian Republic Party led by Aram
Sargsyan,[79] Social Democrat Hunchakian Party, "Azadakrum" movement for Jirair Sefilian, "New Times" Party
and the Heritage Party, led by Raffi Hovannisian.[80]

March 1 mass protestsMain article: 2008 Armenian presidential election protests

Final results from the election, which was held on February 19, 2008, officially showed Sargsyan winning about
53% of the vote, and Ter-Petrosyan in second place with 21.5% of the vote.[81] Ter-Petrosyan and his supporters
accused the government of rigging the election and claimed victory;[82] beginning on February 20, he led
continuous protests involving tens of thousands of his supporters in Yerevan.[83] On the early morning of March
1, reportedly acting on evidence of firearms in the camp, the authorities moved in to inspect the tents set up by
demonstrators. Law enforcement agents then violently dispersed the hundreds of protestors camped in. Ter-
Petrosyan was placed under de facto house arrest, not being allowed to leave his home, though the authorities
later denied the allegations.[84] A few hours later, tens of thousands of protestors or more gathered at
Miyasnikyan Square to protest the government's act. Police, overwhelmed by the sheer size of the crowd, pulled
out. A state of emergency was implemented by President Kocharyan at 5pm, allowing the army to be moved into
the capital. At night, a few thousand protestors barricaded themselves using commandeered municipal buses. As a
result of skirmishes with the police, ten people died, including policemen.[85] [86] This was followed by mass
arrests and purges of prominent members of the opposition, as well as a de facto ban on any further anti-
government protests. Sargsyan was recognized as legitimate president[87][88]

On October 10, 2009, the Turkish-Armenian protocols on the establishment of diplomatic relations constituted a
novelty in Turkish-Armenian relations. Sargsyan accepted the proposal of studying the issue of the Armenian
genocide through a commission, and recognized the current Turkish-Armenian border.
In 20092010, the Azerbaijan's military buildup along with increasing war rhetoric and threats risked causing
renewed problems in the South Caucasus.[89]

In 2011, protests erupted in Armenia as part of the revolutionary wave sweeping through the Middle East.
Protesters continue to demand an investigation into the 2008 violence, the release of political prisoners, an
improvement in socioeconomic conditions, and the institution of democratic reforms. The Armenian National
Congress and Heritage have been influential in organizing and leading protests.[90]

Legendary history[edit]Further information: History of Armenia (Moses of Chorene)

The legendary founder of Armenia was Hayk, a chieftain who called on his kinsmen to unite into a single nation,
thus forming Armenia. Ararat was the mountain around which was centered Urartu and subsequent kingdoms, and
is still considered sacred by the Armenians.

The original Armenian name for the country was Hayq, later Hayastan, translated as the land of Hayk, and
consisting of the name Haik and the Iranian suffix '-stan' (land). According to legend, Haik was a great-great-
grandson of Noah (son of Togarmah, who was a son of Gomer, a son of Noah's son, Yafet), and according to
tradition, a forefather of all Armenians. Mount Ararat, a sacred mountain for the Armenian people, rising in the
center of the Armenian Highland as its highest peak, is traditionally considered the landing place of Noah's Ark.